NHL Playoff Image 2022: Updated Standings After Maple Leafs, Rangers Clinch Berths

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Unique York Rangers clinched spots in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs with wins over the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, respectively, on Saturday.

The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 3-2, while the Rangers defeated the Senators 5-1.

Toronto is headed attend to the playoffs for the sixth straight season, while Unique York is headed attend to the postseason for the first time for the reason that 2019-20 campaign after missing the reduce final season.

The Maple Leafs at the moment sit 2d in the Atlantic Division with a 47-19-6 anecdote, while the Rangers are 2d in the Metropolitan Division with a 47-20-6 anecdote.

Right here’s a perceive on the up up to now Eastern Conference standings:

Atlantic Division

1. Florida Panthers: 51-15-6, 108 aspects
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 47-19-6, 100 aspects
3. Boston Bruins: 45-21-5, 95 aspects

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 46-18-8, 100 aspects
2. Unique York Rangers: 47-20-6, 100 aspects
3. Pittsburgh Penguins: 41-22-10, 92 aspects

Wild Card

1. Tampa Bay Lightning: 43-20-8, 94 aspects
2. Washington Capitals: 39-22-10, 88 aspects

The Maple Leafs beget spent most of the 2021-22 season in a single among the tip three spots in the Atlantic Division. Powered by Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander, the workers appears to be like to be unstoppable offensively.

Matthews fair now not too prolonged ago became the franchise’s single-season scoring chief after notching his 55th aim of the year. He entered Saturday’s recreation with 56 objectives and 41 assists for 97 aspects in 66 games and is on pace to procure his first Rocket Richard Trophy because the league’s high aim scorer.

Marner is additionally in the midst of the most easy season of his profession, getting into Saturday’s recreation with a profession-high 31 objectives as smartly as to 58 assists for 89 aspects in 62 games. As well to, Nylander entered with 28 objectives and 40 assists for 68 aspects in 70 games.

Toronto has additionally received robust performances defensively from Morgan Rielly and TJ Brodie, however the workers’s goaltending has struggled all season. The combo of Petr Mrazek, Jack Campbell and Erik Kallgren has a 3.07 objectives-against reasonable and .904 achieve percentage, which sorrowful toward the underside of the league.

As for the Rangers, they are in the midst of an spectacular bounce-attend season thanks to Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.

Kreider, namely, is in the midst of an incredibly spectacular year. The worn entered Saturday with a profession-high 47 objectives, as smartly as to 21 assists for 68 aspects in 72 games. Zibanejad, in the meantime, entered with 27 objectives and 46 assists for 73 aspects, while Panarin had 20 objectives and 65 assists for 85 aspects.

Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba beget additionally carried the workers defensively, while Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev beget anchored the workers in aim.

Despite clinching a position in the postseason, both the Maple Leafs and Rangers could presumably perhaps additionally face an uphill battle with groups cherish the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins slated to affect deep runs.